Here is my short list of Do’s and Don’ts for painting furniture with chalk paint. So, whether it’s painting with chalk paint, painting with milk paint, or Fusion Mineral paint, the principles still apply. there is a learning curve to producing pieces that are professional, attractive, and will be timeless in your decor. The popularity of chalk paint and paints like it, has given many the confidence to try painting furniture for themselves, which I think is wonderful!īUT. With lots of errors and lots of practice, I have grown in those skills.Īnd I have been able to pinpoint a few things I believe are definite Do’s and Don’ts for painting furniture with chalk paint. I’ve never excelled in artistic endeavors, and I’ve learned that producing quality makeovers when painting furniture requires some basic artistic skills. When I look back at some of the very first pieces of furniture I painted with chalk paint, I see many, many mistakes that I made. Some not so great things are happening to some fantastic furniture pieces!
It’s biodegradeable, not harsh on your skin, but still does the job well of cleaning off greasy residue.I feel that I have to speak up in defense of all the great pieces of old wooden furniture that are being snatched up by us furniture painters to be painted with chalk paint. My favorite TSP is the Fusion TSP Alternative. Then you will need to give the entire surface a good cleaning with a degreaser, like TSP, to clean off the residue left behind by the mineral spirits. The mineral spirits will break down the wax and as you scrub the wax will start to pull away from the paint.Īfter you scrub the whole piece, wipe off any residue with a wet rag. The best way to remove the wax is to scrub the piece of furniture with a slightly abrasive sponge and mineral spirits. Taking off furniture wax is not a difficult process, but is a little time consuming and a bit messy. The new paint may stick initially, but long term it will have poor adhesion and may come off with the slightest scratch. Wax acts as a resist, and just about any paint you put over wax (with one exception–which I’ll tell you about later) will not adhere well. Before painting over the chalk paint, the wax MUST be removed. If wax builds up under your nail or you can see the scratch mark in the finish, there is wax on the piece. It’s pretty easy to figure out–just scrape the piece of furniture with our fingernail. Before you start painting over chalk paint, it’s super important to figure out if a wax was applied or if the chalk paint is bare. The typical topcoat recommended for chalk-painted pieces is paste furniture wax (wondering what that is? You can read more about that here). Whether you want to just change the color with a new coat of chalk paint or try out a different type of paint, it’s important to ask a few questions before you start so you can take the right prep steps. I’ve got good news for you! The answer is YES, you can! It makes sense then why one of the most frequent questions I get these days is “Can I paint over chalk paint?”
Maybe their tastes have changed and they’re ready for a new color scheme, or maybe that chalk painted desk isn’t proving to be as durable as they want it to be and a new paint job promises better results. So a lot of folks are starting to look at those chalk-painted pieces from five years ago and asking what it would take to paint them again. It’s also plenty of time for new types of paint to come on to the market–paints like Fusion Mineral Paint that promise the same ease of use but work a bit differently than chalk paint. It’s been a little over five years since chalk paint first became popular, which is a lifetime in the world of home decor.įive years is enough time for color trends to change 3 or 4 times, for “Farmhouse style” to transition to “Boho”, and for navy to become the new gray.